Parents who enrol their children in so-called “dummy schools” to allow them to focus entirely on NEET or JEE coaching may soon face stricter scrutiny, as the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has launched action against schools suspected of facilitating the practice.
The state education board has issued show-cause notices to three Ahmedabad schools after surprise inspections revealed that only around 30 per cent of enrolled students were actually attending classes. The findings have reignited concerns over the growing trend of dummy schooling, where students remain officially enrolled in schools but spend most of their time preparing for competitive entrance examinations at coaching centres.
The schools that have received notices are SS Divine School in Science City-Gota, Divine School in Naroda, and Gayatri Vidyalaya in Naroda. The board has asked the institutions to explain why their affiliations should not be cancelled following irregularities uncovered during inspections.
According to GSHSEB Secretary Rakesh Vyas, the action was taken after the board received complaints about dummy schooling practices. Surprise visits to the schools reportedly found a significant mismatch between the number of students enrolled and those physically present in classrooms.
“The number of Class 11 and 12 students present in school classrooms could be counted on fingertips,” Vyas said, adding that the matter will now be placed before the executive committee of the board after the schools submit their explanations.
Dummy schooling has become increasingly common in Gujarat, particularly among students preparing for highly competitive medical and engineering entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE. Under this arrangement, students formally enrol in a school but attend coaching institutes full-time, returning to school mainly for practical sessions and examinations.
Schools benefit financially from the arrangement as students continue to pay full fees despite limited attendance. Depending on the institution, these fees can range from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1.75 lakh annually. Many parents also support the system, believing it gives students a better chance of succeeding in entrance examinations by allowing them to focus exclusively on coaching.
Education experts say the practice has been growing steadily for nearly a decade and has become a preferred option for many students aiming for professional courses.
The issue first came under major scrutiny in March 2025, when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) disaffiliated 14 schools across Gujarat, including four in Ahmedabad, over violations related to non-attending student enrolments. Some of those affiliations were later restored after review.
The Gujarat education department had also previously ordered district education officers to conduct inspections after concerns were raised by educationists regarding dummy schooling in state-board institutions. However, authorities had then reported that no schools with non-attending students were found.
This time, however, the state board has acted directly on specific complaints and initiated disciplinary proceedings.
An educationist and former GSHSEB member welcomed the move, saying that dummy schools are not a sustainable solution to the growing pressure of competitive entrance examinations.
“Dummy schools are not an answer to the highly competitive entrance exam culture in education. Unless corrective steps are taken, the institution of regular schooling itself could suffer,” the educationist said.
The latest action by the Gujarat board signals a tougher stance against a practice that many believe undermines classroom education while highlighting the increasing influence of coaching centres on India’s school system.
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